List of governors of Idaho

Governor of Idaho
Incumbent
Brad Little
since January 7, 2019
Government of Idaho
ResidenceNone
Term lengthFour years, no term limit
Inaugural holderGeorge L. Shoup
FormationOctober 1, 1890
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Idaho
Salary$117,000 (2013)
Websitegov.idaho.gov

The governor of Idaho is the head of government of Idaho and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The officeholder has the duty to see state laws are executed, power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Idaho Legislature. The current governor of Idaho is Brad Little, a Republican, who took office on January 7, 2019.

Thirty-one individuals have held the office of governor of Idaho since the state's admission to the Union in 1890, two of whom served non-consecutive terms. The state's first governor, George L. Shoup, had the shortest term, of three months; Cecil Andrus had the longest, of 14 years.

List of governors

Territory of Idaho

Idaho Territory was created from Dakota Territory, Nebraska Territory, and Washington Territory on March 4, 1863.

There were sixteen territorial governors appointed by the president of the United States from the territory's organization in 1863 until the formation of the state of Idaho in 1890. Due to the long distance from Washington, D.C. to Boise, there was often a lengthy gap between a governor being appointed and his arrival in the territory; four resigned before even arriving.

Governors of Idaho Territory
No. Governor Term in office Appointed by
1 William H. Wallace
(1811–1879)
March 10, 1863

December 1863
(resigned)
Abraham Lincoln
2 Caleb Lyon
(1822–1875)
February 26, 1864

June 14, 1866
(successor appointed)
Abraham Lincoln
3 David W. Ballard
(1824–1883)
April 10, 1866

July 16, 1870
(successor appointed)
Andrew Johnson
Samuel Bard
(1825–1878)
March 30, 1870

June 5, 1870
(resigned before taking office)
Ulysses S. Grant
Gilman Marston
(1811–1890)
June 7, 1870

December 3, 1870
(resigned before taking office)
Ulysses S. Grant
Alexander H. Conner
(1831–1891)
January 12, 1871

April 19, 1871
(resigned before taking office)
Ulysses S. Grant
4 Thomas M. Bowen
(1835–1906)
April 19, 1871

September 30, 1871
(resigned)
Ulysses S. Grant
5 Thomas W. Bennett
(1831–1893)
October 24, 1871

December 4, 1875
(resigned)
Ulysses S. Grant
6 David P. Thompson
(1834–1901)
December 16, 1875

July 1, 1876
(resigned)
Ulysses S. Grant
7 Mason Brayman
(1813–1895)
July 24, 1876

July 24, 1880
(successor appointed)
Ulysses S. Grant
8 John Baldwin Neil
(1842–1902)
July 12, 1880

March 2, 1883
(successor appointed)
Rutherford B. Hayes
9 John N. Irwin
(1844–1905)
March 2, 1883

December 20, 1883
(resigned)
Chester A. Arthur
10 William M. Bunn
(1842–1923)
March 26, 1884

July 3, 1885
(resigned)
Chester A. Arthur
11 Edward A. Stevenson
(1831–1895)
September 29, 1885

April 1, 1889
(successor appointed)
Grover Cleveland
12 George L. Shoup
(1836–1904)
April 1, 1889

December 8, 1890
(elected state governor)
Benjamin Harrison

State of Idaho

Office of the Idaho governor

Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890. The terms for governor and lieutenant governor are 4 years, commencing on the first Monday in the January following the election. Prior to 1946, the offices were elected to terms of two years. If the office of governor is vacant or the governor is out of state or unable to discharge his duties, the lieutenant governor acts as governor until such time as the disability is removed. If both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are vacant or both those officers are unable to fulfill their duties, the President pro tempore of the Idaho Senate is next in line, and then the Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives. After the change to four-year terms, self-succession (re-election) was not initially allowed; newly elected Governor Robert E. Smylie, formerly the state's attorney general, successfully lobbied the 1955 legislature to propose an amendment to the state constitution to allow gubernatorial re-election, which was approved by voters in the 1956 general election. There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve.

Governors of the State of Idaho
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor
1   George L. Shoup
(1836–1904)
December 8, 1890

December 19, 1890
(resigned)
Republican 1890   N. B. Willey
2 N. B. Willey
(1838–1921)
December 19, 1890

January 2, 1893
(lost nomination)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
John S. Gray
3 William J. McConnell
(1839–1925)
January 2, 1893

January 4, 1897
(did not run)
Republican 1892 F. B. Willis
1894 F. J. Mills
4 Frank Steunenberg
(1861–1905)
January 4, 1897

January 7, 1901
(did not run)
Democratic 1896 George F. Moore
1898 J. H. Hutchinson
5 Frank W. Hunt
(1861–1906)
January 7, 1901

January 5, 1903
(lost election)
Democratic 1900 Thomas F. Terrell
6 John T. Morrison
(1860–1915)
January 5, 1903

January 2, 1905
(lost nomination)
Republican 1902 James M. Stevens
7 Frank R. Gooding
(1859–1928)
January 2, 1905

January 4, 1909
(did not run)
Republican 1904 Burpee L. Steeves
1906 Ezra A. Burrell
8 James H. Brady
(1862–1918)
January 4, 1909

January 2, 1911
(lost election)
Republican 1908 Lewis H. Sweetser
9 James H. Hawley
(1847–1929)
January 2, 1911

January 6, 1913
(lost election)
Democratic 1910
10 John M. Haines
(1863–1917)
January 6, 1913

January 4, 1915
(lost election)
Republican 1912 Herman H. Taylor
11 Moses Alexander
(1853–1932)
January 4, 1915

January 6, 1919
(did not run)
Democratic 1914
1916 Ernest L. Parker
12 D. W. Davis
(1873–1959)
January 6, 1919

January 1, 1923
(did not run)
Republican 1918 Charles C. Moore
1920
13 Charles C. Moore
(1866–1958)
January 1, 1923

January 3, 1927
(did not run)
Republican 1922 H. C. Baldridge
1924
14 H. C. Baldridge
(1868–1947)
January 3, 1927

January 5, 1931
(did not run)
Republican 1926 O. E. Hailey
1928 W. B. Kinne
(died October 1, 1929)
Vacant
O. E. Hailey
(appointed October 25, 1929)
15 C. Ben Ross
(1876–1946)
January 5, 1931

January 4, 1937
(did not run)
Democratic 1930 G. P. Mix
1932 George Hill
1934 G. P. Mix
16 Barzilla W. Clark
(1880–1943)
January 4, 1937

January 2, 1939
(lost nomination)
Democratic 1936 Charles C. Gossett
17 C. A. Bottolfsen
(1891–1964)
January 2, 1939

January 6, 1941
(lost election)
Republican 1938 Donald S. Whitehead
18 Chase A. Clark
(1883–1966)
January 6, 1941

January 4, 1943
(lost election)
Democratic 1940 Charles C. Gossett
19 C. A. Bottolfsen
(1891–1964)
January 4, 1943

January 1, 1945
(did not run)
Republican 1942 Edwin Nelson
20 Charles C. Gossett
(1888–1974)
January 1, 1945

November 17, 1945
(resigned)
Democratic 1944 Arnold Williams
21 Arnold Williams
(1898–1970)
November 17, 1945

January 6, 1947
(lost election)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
A. R. McCabe
(appointed March 20, 1946)
22 C. A. Robins
(1884–1970)
January 6, 1947

January 1, 1951
(term-limited)
Republican 1946 Donald S. Whitehead
23 Leonard B. Jordan
(1899–1983)
January 1, 1951

January 3, 1955
(term-limited)
Republican 1950 Edson H. Deal
24 Robert E. Smylie
(1914–2004)
January 3, 1955

January 2, 1967
(lost nomination)
Republican 1954 J. Berkeley Larsen
1958 W. E. Drevlow
1962
25 Don Samuelson
(1913–2000)
January 2, 1967

January 4, 1971
(lost election)
Republican 1966 Jack M. Murphy
26 Cecil Andrus
(1931–2017)
January 4, 1971

January 24, 1977
(resigned)
Democratic 1970
1974 John Evans
27 John Evans
(1925–2014)
January 24, 1977

January 5, 1987
(did not run)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
William J. Murphy
(appointed January 28, 1977)
1978 Phil Batt
1982 David H. Leroy
28 Cecil Andrus
(1931–2017)
January 5, 1987

January 2, 1995
(did not run)
Democratic 1986 Butch Otter
(resigned January 3, 2001)
1990
29 Phil Batt
(1927–2023)
January 2, 1995

January 4, 1999
(did not run)
Republican 1994
30 Dirk Kempthorne
(b. 1951)
January 4, 1999

May 26, 2006
(resigned)
Republican 1998
Vacant
Jack Riggs
(appointed January 30, 2001)
2002 Jim Risch
31 Jim Risch
(b. 1943)
May 26, 2006

January 1, 2007
(did not run)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
Mark Ricks
(appointed June 15, 2006)
32 Butch Otter
(b. 1942)
January 1, 2007

January 7, 2019
(did not run)
Republican 2006 Jim Risch
(resigned January 3, 2009)
Vacant
Brad Little
(appointed January 6, 2009)
2010
2014
33 Brad Little
(b. 1954)
January 7, 2019

Incumbent
Republican 2018 Janice McGeachin
2022 Scott Bedke

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-18 02:50 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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